Cape native brings Pats cheer to South Pole

Sunday

Feb 4, 2018 at 4:25 PMFeb 5, 2018 at 12:30 PM

Heading into Super Bowl LII, New England Patriots pride could, quite literally, be seen all across the globe — including its very southernmost end.

Master Sgt. Maurice Huard, originally from Bourne, shared photos Saturday of his Patriots hat positioned atop the ceremonial South Pole, an area at South Pole Station set aside for photo opportunities and located a few yards from the geographic pole.

Brianna Huard, Maurice’s daughter, posted the photos — as well as a video in which her father is seen hoisting a Patriots flag through the top of a military transport plane at McMurdo Station in Antarctica — to Facebook, where they received more than 200 shares by Sunday.

Now a New York Air National Guardsman, having moved from Cape Cod to New York 18 years ago to join the 109th Air Wing, Maurice, 57, flies to Antarctica twice a year for five- to six-week stints to help support the National Science Foundation. His unit resupplies research camps throughout the frigid continent, Brianna said.

Brianna, 25, said her father is a huge Patriots fan and that the two bond over the sport. Growing up in Mashpee, Brianna said she remembers her father’s presentation about his trips to Antarctica to her class during career day at the Quashnet School.

“Everyone thought he was so cool,” she said.

She gave him the Patriots cap for Christmas last year. The hat is specially tailored to military service members, she said.

But ever since moving to New York, Maurice has been living among the competition.